How to make Christmas indoor wreaths
These wreaths are great as an indoor decoration to hang on a mantlepiece or in a window with the light shining through, explains garden writer and designer Francine Raymond.
“And they don’t have to be just for Christmas. You can always put a modern twist on them any other time of the year using treated, colourful leaves available from your florist supplier.
“They are designed to last one year, but if you store them well, they could last longer. Alternatively, the frame can always be re-used year on year.”
What you will need:
• A selection of different sized, colourful dried leaves from the garden
• Newspaper
• A floor matt
• A wire wreath frame – available from a florist supplier at about £5. They can be angled or flat, depending on what you like
• Florist wire – this can come in a variety of colours, such as silver, gold or copper to add a bit of colour to your wreath
• Wire cutters
• Sellotape or ribbon
• A glue gun – available from any hobby shop or florist supplier
• As an extra, dried acorns can also be sprayed with gold or silver paint and secured to the wreath
How to do it:
• Go into the garden and select any colourful leaves that take your fancy – try to pick a range of colours and sizes
• Place them face down between two sheets of newspaper under any floor matt in the house
• Leave to completely dry out and desiccate – this can take about a week, depending on your central heating
• When the leaves are ready to use, make a loop on the wreath frame using the florist wire, from which to hang it – it’s best to do this before securing any leaves
• Criss-cross and wrap the tape or ribbon around the wire frame to create a surface the leaves can be attached to
• Put a dab of glue on the underside of your dried leaves and stick to the sellotape or ribbon in whatever pattern you like – you may want to pre-arrange the leaves on the table to get an idea of how you might use them
• Painted acorns, crystals or buttons can also be added if you desire
• Hang on a mantlepiece or in a window, where they can’t get knocked